Has anyone reduced payments or stopped paying into an NHS pension?

[nhspensionq]

I have tried reading up on this but getting conflicting info and I'm on annual leave for 2 weeks so can't speak to my line manager/HR.

I have worked for the NHS 3 years, admin role @ band 3. I work 16.5 hours a week. I have a son who has diagnosed anxiety disorder and I cannot work more hours than this. I do study part time too so it's not like I'm doing nothing outside of work.

I have been having weekly meetings with UC as the threshold has changed and you now must work the equivalent of 18 hours NMW to qualify for UC, I am £70 short of this per month. UC advise I change jobs but there is nothing out there that gives me the same hours (the hours I have are PERFECT, they fit around school and my parents working hours in the holidays).

Pay rise is scheduled for October but I still don't think I'll meet the threshold then, I will be around £25 below the threshold, so the obvious answer is to stop paying in to my pension for the time being but I am finding conflicting information on how to go about this, and if it's possible to just reduce my contribution or if I must withdraw from the scheme all together.

Any advice on how to do this and the rules surrounding it etc would be greatly appreciated as I am really struggling with these weekly UC meetings.

I would not reduce or stop your pension payments. Your future self will really regret it if you do.

As it is an admin role, can you talk to your line manager about taking home a couple of hours worth of work each week? There must be some solution other than jeopardising your pension.

You can’t reduce contributions in the NHS pension scheme so you would have to opt out. There’s a few things to consider:

• you would lose the value of the employer contributions as they won’t pay those anywhere else for you
• you won’t be covered for death in service lump sums if anything happened to you while opted out
• you wouldn’t be entitled to any ill health enhancement if you had to retire on ill health while opted out
• you can pay extra to cover the lost time when you’re back in the scheme but it’s usually more expensive than just paying the contributions at the time

Posted too soon but was just going to reiterate what pp said - opting out of the pension should be the last resort.

You are either in or out of the pension scheme. If you are in the scheme then there are options to pay extra but not less.

This is a put your own oxygen mask on scenario - a good pension will pay off in the long run. The NHS pension is a good pension.

Is there absolutely no way you can earn the £70 other ways.? It’s less than £20 per week or just over 6 hours a month NMW.

Start by talking to your HR and ask if they can find you a WFH task that takes you to 17.5 or 18.0 hours a week. That would give you flexibility you need.

Don’t do it.

@SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice thanks for your reply. I have explored this with my line manager, no one is able to work from home in our department so that is not an option.

I don't want to stop paying in, but I cannot think of any other way to avoid this. I am being asked by UC to prove I am looking for other jobs and I will not get these hours elsewhere; I am not against moving departments but it would be impossible to find another role that fits in with my DC.

Can you pick up any bank hours to make it up? It doesn't have to be admin. Could be HCA for example? Just to tide you over the gap?

Thanks everyone for your replies, I really do appreciate them. I don't want to opt out but I have tried to explore all other options available to me and this is the most doable, from what I can see anyway.

I have asked for 1 or 2 more hours, applied for WFH jobs that are between 20-30 hours to be told at interview they are hybrid and unsuitable, I thought I would be OK after the pay rise but now I know I won't be I am not sure what other option I have.

I would hate to lose my pension and as soon as I am able I would opt back in (if that's possible) but I can't think of any other option here and I am at risk of possibly being sanctioned for not trying hard enough to find a job that's 18hrs+.

I can’t believe the NHS can’t find you the extra hours, even one day a month filing would make the difference.

This is where UC rules are so flawed expecting people to find new employment for being an hour under thresholds doesn't take into account the fact sometimes there is no option to increase by 1 or 2 hours, rather than focusing on the fact someone is in work part time and is still contributing to the system! Does your trust have a bank? Could you pick up a 4 hour admin shift a month or a day every other month through that to bring you up?

We are on a complete freeze where I work, people have recently been redeployed, I am not exaggerating when I say I have asked and my managers have said they cannot give me any more hours, even just the 1.5 a month I would need.

The bank is not something I have ever looked into but that sounds like it could be the answer to my prayers! I will definitely check that out now.

This is how I feel but I suppose I should be grateful for the help.

I have paid tax since leaving school, worked full time until COVID hit, my partner passed away and my son began experiencing extreme anxiety. I thought I'd hit the jackpot with the hours in the role I am doing, I am good at the role and I love it. I am 4 years into a part time degree and I have no intention of claiming UC my whole life.

Apologies I am back again with another question and did not want to start another thread.

I have looked into the bank staff thing and it looks like, in my trust, it is only clinicians who are being employed on the bank for the time being, I'm at not sure if this is to do with the spending freeze we are experiencing but there is no option for admin or HCA type rolls to sign up to the bank staff.

I have tried my hardest to work out what position I'll be in after a pay rise and it looks like I'll be exactly £25 per month short of the UC threshold - are they at all likely to forgive this small amount or would my weekly work searches have to continue?

Oh wow nevermind I think I may have possibly cracked it, I know I am talking to myself, but please could anyone who has knowledge of this confirm I am correct?

In October a pay rise of 5.5% comes into effect, NHS staff will also receive a back payment of this dating back to April 1st.

My calculations say I should earn £865 from October onwards meaning I am -£25.5 per month. My backdated pay should equal roughly £315. I can opt to have this paid over the year rather than a lump sum which should make my monthly wage £891 which puts me right at the UC threshold?

I am very hopeful that I am right in thinking I can opt to have this spread over the year!

In my NHS trust, a lot of admin staff join the bank and pick up a couple of extra hours a week which can usually be done flexibly. Have you tried that?

Sorry, just seen that someone else suggested that previously. Still worth a look probably.

Thanks @justjuggling and everyone who suggested bank staff work, I can't find any info online for my trust, other than for clinicians but I can certainly enquire when I get back at work, because this could solve all of my problems!

I am very hopeful, as I said in my last post, that I might be OK after the pay increase scheduled for October, I am keeping everything crossed!

If the pay rise doesn't work out apply for bank at your towns private hospital. Eg Nuffield. My nhs sec friend also did an evening a week typing for our Nuffield so worth asking.

Hi. I’m NHS
You will have death in service benefits within the pension which you can nominate to your son if you haven’t already.This would be your annual salary x 2 as a lump some not to mention your yearly pension.
Have a look at other jobs or NICE within the NHS as some trusts now promote hybrid working. The admin team within the service I am on work both from home and in the office, HR assistants also do this. Some community admin teams are able to work from home

You will unlikely get bank as admin staff as most trusts have put a stop to it due to spending cuts.